Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-06-07


-iierabiy tirklet at this and asked what kind
of "A hoe, and he told me it was the park and
show ed us how to get there. We strolied
along the narrer streets looking at the queer
looking old houses with their funny little win
dows; and the new ones, every one OF stone,
we thought, till we found it was stucco; and
all at once we was on the Hoe, and a scene
was spread before US that beat anything L
ever witnessed from the highest knob of the
Splitshin hills beyond Wayback.
**s
1t was all sea in front, with the great six
million dollar breakwater, 5000 feet long,
shutting the waves off from the shore, with
brakes Island armed to the teeth near by,
bold headlands sticking out on each side,
and ships everywhere on the water and cam
mons and forts everywhere ON land.
"Mandy," says l to my wife, after l had
caught my breath, "gaze on England's might
See there her ships, bristling with shutin'
irons, and there her forts, loaded to the muz-
gle, and On every hand her trained soldiery.
Look on them things Mandy, and then look
on our little home in Wayback, our children,
our pigs and our cattle, and nothing to de-
fend them in our absence but one soldier and
one officer to every 2,4OO people, and few
ships that wouldn't hardly serve as tubs to do
days washing in. Think Of it, Mandy, and
nerve your husbands arm to lift it in the
cause Of coast defenses and national preser-
walton"
"Bash!' says she to me; ayou air sometimes
mighty highfalutin in your STYLE and you
often shake out the folds Of the Star Spangled
Banner to the breeze when there amt no
breeze, but in this thing you air right, and
I'll stand by you"
This Hoe, as they call it, which means a
"high place." is right on the edge of bluff
200 feet above the sound, and, with its i'm
provements, is one of the purtiest sites you
can find anywheres.
.*x
From where we stood we could sec the field
OF lots OF history we had studied at school
Over them dancing waves the PuritaDs that
never danced had sailed 267 years before in
the Mayfiower en- root fer Plymouth Rock,
and in Plymouth l seen a sign, "Endicott's
Inn, and thought of our brave war secre-
tary, Col. Endicott, of Massachusetts,, near
Plymouth Rock; on the same waters Sir
Francis Drake had sailed. going out to many
battles, and twice around the world; in 1883
100 ships went out from here and, combining
with the elements had DESTROYED the Spanish
Arinady; then, too, in 1915 the Bellerophon
anchored, having on board the mightiest
murderer of mankind, the meanest monarch
that ever climbed throne-Napoleon Bony-
parte-a prisoner of war. Into these waters
had come from France and contiguous coun-
tries warlike enemies in earlier times, and on
several occasions had burnt more or less of
the town. As thought of all these things
and FOR the fust time was in their very midst.
was thrilled with an emotion that SUD-
posed was not in me, and for minute be-
gun to think that mebbe there was something
bigger in the world than an American con.
gresham, and even Wayback seemed very
modern when set up alongside of such rec
ord as this
There was another thing, too, in Plymouth
history that |, as free born citizen of the
greatest republic on EARTH admired, and that
was when Cromwell upset the throne
Plymouth held out against the Royalists and
went in for new order of things
In looking over less ancient statistics round
one thing worthy of example for Americans
and that was that the gas company CHARGES
only fortysix cents thousand for gas. We
don't use it i'll Wayback yet, but in Washing
ton l know my landlady used to be complain
ing all the time, and some nights when the
Dos came in to set up with me on important
committee business congressman know al
about that she used to purity nigh git into
my hair about the extra expense.
*+*
Plymouth has one of the finest harbors in
England and one of the toughest seas out
side, and fourteen miles away Is the famous
, Eddystone lighthouse, which the waves Jump
clean over, SO they say. This is the fourth
one that has been built, the first being washed
| away, the next burned and the third torn
down for the present one. There are govern
ment docks and a great "victualing sta ion"
here for the navy, too, something we don't
lave no need for in Ameriky up to the pres
| ent writing.
We loafed around Plymouth for a day and
half, getting our Gland legs" back in place
Of our sea legs" and then started out for
Pen2ance and the very end of all England
-Lands End. 1t was nice trip, Mr.. Ed
itor, and I'll tell your readers about it in the
next Yours, truly, @, WAxEM,
NJ. c. from Way back